This invention relates to a cable holding device for holding a communication cable beside an electrical power outlet box and to the combination of an electrical power outlet box and a cable holding device for holding a communication cable beside the outlet box.
The number of communication outlets, such as telephones and cable connections, which have to be located close to an electrical receptacle, has greatly increased during the last few years. This has been caused by the increased use of communication and entertainment equipment such as telephone recording machines, facsimile transfer equipment (faxes), PC computers, cable connected television, VCR's, etc.
The Electrical Code does not allow mixing of power and communication cables in the same conduit or enclosure without a physical barrier between them.
At present, a power receptacle is attached to an electrical power outlet box and a wall plate is mounted on this power receptacle. A communication receptacle, at a separate location, is attached to a wall plate which is mounted directly to another outlet box.
Usually boxes are mounted on wall studs with the two boxes, one containing the communication connector and the other the power receptacle being 16" or 24" apart, the distance between studs. This contributes to the maze of cables often present in the back of communication equipment.
Recently a box including a bracket for mounting the communication connector has been developed. In normal construction practice, the wall studs are erected first, forming a skeleton to which later wallboards are attached. While the skeleton is still open on both sides, the electrician is mounting the outlet boxes and placing the power and communication cables in the spaces between the studs. He brings the ends of the power cable inside the electrical box. This cable stays loose inside the box until the wallboard is in place. The electrician returns then to the job site to connect the loose cable wires to the receptacle and mounts the receptacle together with the receptacle plate on top of the box.
The communication cable, however, is normally left hanging loose, behind the communication connector mounting bracket, until the wallboard is mounted and the electrician returns to connect the communication cable wires with the communication connector. This presents some difficulty because, when the electrician wants to connect the communication cable, he has first to find it. The access hole is only as large as the opening in the communication bracket, approximately 2".times.3". The electrician has at times to use a wire hook to find and pull out the communication cable in order to attach it to the connector.